Rotary file-cabinet.



PATENTED JAN. 6, i903.

L. S. PERKINS. ROTARY FILE CABINET. APPLIGATION FILED FEB. 17, 1902.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

No m0111211.

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PATENTED JAN"I 6, 1903.

'Lf s.- PERKINS.'

ROTARY PILE CABINET.

APPLICATION LED FEB. 17,. IQOZ.

3 SHEETS-S No MoDBL.

Ala/wl vPALIEN'IED JAN. 6, 1903.

L. s. PERKINS. ROTARY 'EILE CABINET. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 17, 1902.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

K0 MODEL.

W1 TNESSES.-

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:zo4 Fumo-umm wnsmncron D c UNITED SrifiTEsk PATENT OFFICE.

LINDSAY S. PERKINS, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ASSIGNOR OF TWO-THIRDS TO RALPH DE WITTKELLER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., AND WILLIAM D. CAMPBELL, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

ROTARY FlLEi-CABIN ET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 717,713, dated January 6, 1903. Application filed February I7, 1902. Serial No. 94,459. (No model.)

T all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that LLINDSAY S. PERKINS, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Washington, District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in R0-Y tary File-Cabinets; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to io make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the let-. ters of reference marked thereon, which form a part-of this specification.

This invention relates to certain new and x5 useful improvements in file-cabinets; and it' has for its object, among others, the provision of a rotary file-cabinet adapted specially for containing index-cards, the essential objectV consisting in the provision of a compact rozo tary file-cabinet adapted to contain within the most convenient Vaccess the greatest possible number of index-cards within a given space.

A further object of the invention consistsV 2 5 in the provision of a series of tilting cabinets,

in connection with a horizontal rotatable cabinet-case, each of the tilting panels being provided with one or more card-holding drawers,

the cabinet being designed to be located in 3o close proximity to the desk of the operator and the panels of the cabinet so arranged as to permit any one of the series of panels to be brought, by the rotation of the case, adjacent to the desk or table where, by tilting the panel containing the drawer or drawers, ac-

cess to which is desired, to be tilted into a horizont-al position above the face of the ta` ble, and the drawer or drawers containing the cards to be readily moved out upon the table.

To these ends and to such others as the invention may contain the same consists in the peculiar construction and in the novel comnet.

panels.

ters of reference marked thereon, form a part 5o of this specification, like letters-referring to llike parts throughout the several views, and

in which drawings y Figure lis a side elevation of a card-index {ile-cabinet constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section through the same. Fig. 3 is a central vertical section through the cabinet, showing one of the panels tilted and the slide containing the card-drawers being shown as drawn out 6o upon the top of the table or desk. Fig. t is an enlarged detail, in horizontal section, of the locking mechanism, taken on line 4 4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section through a slightly-modified form of the cabinet, and

Fig. 6 is a horizontalsection through another modified form of device with one vof the drawers partially withdrawn from the cabi- Reference now ybeing had to the details of 7o the drawings by letter, A designates the cabinet, which in Figs. l to 3 of the drawings I have shown as twelve-sided, although it will be at once evident that the number of sides may be varied without departing from the spirit of the invention. The cabinet is to rotatearound a central post or standard B, and to insure its being held steady in its rotary movements the weight of the cabinet is supported upon a series of castenwheels C, which 8o travel within an annular groove or track C', extending around the periphery of the base C2. In the drawings I have shown the base portion of the cabinet as mounted upon suitable legs or supports C3.

Each of the vertical panels or sides D is at a point intermediate its ends and preferably at its vertical center pivoted to the frame of the casing so as to permit the panel to be tilted into a horizontal position by means of 9o suitable handles d at the upper ends of the Each of the panels so pivoted is provided upon its inner side with a sliding frame E, which is adapted to slide within suitable guides e, extending in thel direction of the 95 length of the panel. This slide E is provided with one or more card-holding boxes or drawers E2. In the drawings I have shown each of the slides as provided with a series of these drawers E2, the drawers being adapted to be moved transversely of the slide upon which they are carried; but it is at once evident that the number of drawers may be varied and is also evident that instead of having the drawers move at right angles to the direction of the slide, as shown in the drawings, they may be moved longitudinally thereof.

The details of construction of the framework of the cabinet are immaterial, though in f movable annular strip G, extending around the periphery of the base of the cabinet, and adapted to be moved by means of suitable handle g', the shank of which handle extends through a slot g in the casing of the cabinet. This annular strip G is provided with a series of lugs or stops h', the number and relative arrangement of which stops correspond with the number and arrangement of the pan` els, and the said strip G is connected with a collar K, sleeved upon the central post, by means of radiating arms or cross-brace K. The operation of the locking mechanism is simple and will be readily understood. It will be seen that when the strip G is moved, by means of its operating handle g, the lugs or pins h, carried by the strip, will be thrown into such positions as to engage the rear edges of the panels and hold the same against tilting movement, and that when the f strip G is moved in the opposite direction the required distance, the lugs or pins h will enter the recesses h in the vertical strips 72,3, which form the angles of the cabinet, where they will be out of engagement with the panels and will thus admit of the same being tilted. Any suitable key-lock may be employed for locking the strip G against movement.

Upon reference to Fig. 3 of the drawings it will be seen that when one of the vertical panels of the cabinet is pulled down or tilted into a horizontal position the panel will rest upon the top of the desk or table I, when by pulling out the slide E, by means of the knob or handle g3, the drawers g2, containing the cards, will be brought'into convenient access to the operator or other person having occasion to consult the same.

In Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawings I have shown slight modifications in construction. In Fig. /the cabinet is shown as having six verticallydisposed panels or sides, each carrying transversely-arranged card-holding drawers, while in Fig. 6 I have illustrated a construction in which the four sections of the cabinet in rectangular form is shown,each of the sections being vertically pivoted at one of .its corners and adapted to be turned by suitable handles le, the tilting panel of each of these pivoted sections being provided with a sliding drawer or frame containing card-drawers, such as I have illustrated in Figs. l 2, andl 3 of the drawings.

The invention is subject to many modifications in detail without departing from the spirit of the invention. I have described and shown a cabinet having a central post around which it rotates; but it is at once evident that this post or standard maybe dispensed with, and the cabinet may be so constructed as to adapt it to rotate upon wheels placed beneath it, said wheels being adapted to travel upon a circular track or guideway, as is common in the construction of rotary cabinets, revolving chairs, dac.

I have described and shown the cabinet as adapted for use in connection with a table or desk, the said table or desk forming a support for the tilting panel when the same is turned down into a horizontal position; but kthe table is merely shown for the purpose of illustrating one of the manyways in which the cabinet may be used, and I do not in this application propose limiting myself to the use of a desk or table or any other specic form of support for the panel when turned downA into a horizontal position, as the cabinet is designed for use independent of tables or desks. I have also described a cabinet designed especially for use in connection with drawers such as are designed to retain indexcards; but it is not my purpose to limit myself to a le-case of this description, as the drawers may, if preferred, be used for other purposes, as, for instance, tool-drawers, letter-file drawers, &c.

Any form of drawers adapted to the purpose may be used in connection with the cabinet and the drawers may be so adjusted as to permit their removal from the sliding base, should it at any time be desired to remove them.

What I claim to be new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. A file-cabinet comprisinga rotary frame, pivoted panels mounted on horizontal axes therein, and sliding drawers held to and tilting with said panels, as set forth.

2. Aiile-cabinet comprisinga rotary frame, horizontallydisposed pivotal pins carried thereby, panels mounted on said pins, a longitudinally-sliding index-drawer held to each panel and tilting therewith, as set forth.

3. A file-cabinet comprising a rotary frame, horizontally disposed pivotal pins carried thereby, panels mounted on said pins, a longitudinally-sliding index-drawer held to each panel and tilting therewith, and a stop to limit the inner throw of the drawer, as set forth.

4. A rotary file-cabinet having a series of horizontally-pivoted panels about its circum- IOO ference, a slide mounted upon each panel, and means for locking the panels in vertical positions, as set forth.

5. .A iile-cabinet comprising a plurality of rotatable frames, each pivotally mounted at one of its corners, a tilting panel with horizontal axes carried by each frame, and a sliding drawer held to and tiltingwith each panel, as set forth.

6. An upright revolving cabinet having a series or" faces, each face forming a base or support for a sliding drawer and each support being pivoted at points intermediate of its ends and adapted to be tilted outward and downward upon a desk or other supportingsnrface to permit the contents of the drawer or cabinet being inspected, substantially as described.

7. A revolvingr cabinet of drawers, the drawers being suspended perpendicularly upon tilting bases, said bases being pivotally connected with the frame of the cabinet and adapted to be tilted upon a desk or other support and said drawers adapted to be moved in or out upon the tilting bases, substantially as described.

8. In a iile-cabinet, a revolving framework comprising an upright supporting pivot or standard provided with a series oi' radiatingarms supporting upright standards intermediate of which standards are provided boxes or drawers pivoted between the standards, said boxes being adapted to be tilted forward and downward upon a supporting-surface, and holding drawers or cabinets of drawers adapted to be drawn out of said boxes upon a supporting-surface, substantially as and for the purpose described.

9.- In a tile-cabinet, a tilting-drawer support pivoted in such a manner as to allow the drawer to be tilted forward upon a desk or other support, in combination with grooves or guides so arranged as to retain the drawer in place upon the support when the saine is tilted, substantially as described.

10. .In combination with a rotary file-cabinet having a series of tilting sections as described, of locking mechanism consisting of a ring, of somewhat smaller diameter than the cabinet and connected by two opposite spokes to a hearing pivoted loosely around the center post or pivot of the cabinet, a suitable .handle attached to the ring and extending through a slot in the cabinet, said handle being adapted to move the ring laterally to cause the lugs or pins upon the ring to engage slots in vertically-disposed posts be, tween the tilting sections, to lock the same against tilting movement, substantially as .described and for the purpose speciiied. Y y

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LINDSAY S. PERKINS.

W'itnesses: K

N. A. MAYHEW, FRANKLIN I-LHoUeH. 

